New Fiesta

[gerrybhoy]

I have just bought a new fiesta (not brand new - 2 years old; 20k miles) and it drives very well. However, when I open the drivers door I can feel it 'drop' very slightly. When I lift the door from the bottom I can feel a tiny amount of movement. Is this the door pin or is a certain amount of drop normal. The door opens and closes perfectly well, and when shut looks normal.

I also noticed that the nearside back door feels a wee bit stiff when opened while the offside rear door opens very freely.

 

[david and julie]

Hi Gerry, welcome to the forum.

The drivers door may just need the striker plate/hinge adjusting slightly. I would not expect wear in the hingepins at this age/mileage. When you say you are lifting the door, do you mean the whole door or just from the handle area?. The reason I say this if lifted from the front (near the wing) you will feel up and down movement which is often normal tolerances.Whereas lifting from near the handle (hence leverage) will show any hinge/pin wear and make a small ammount seem bad.

Stand back from the car(doors closed) and look at all the shut lines, front/back/bonnet/boot and both sides, they should all be much the same. Check the car looks level (proper). Open each door and push them against the car, the gaps should still look OK.


If your happy that all seems OK, I would gently force the drivers door upwards(from the handle end)slightly, by hand,don't overdo it and keep trying it for closure. This will probably sort it out.

The back door may simply of not have been used much.

Try this, if it is no good come back to us.

 

[gerrybhoy]

Thanks for the speedy reply

I notice the slight movement when I grab the bottom of the door at the bottom left (furthest away from the hinge). I therefore have leverage against the hinges.

 

[david and julie]

Go for it then, just lift it a bit and see what happens.

BTW. Garages do this all the time.

 

[gerrybhoy]

I didn't have the guts to prise the door up, but I did loosen the stiker on the door pillar and move it a fraction down. This seems to have cured the drop - but I noticed that the wind deflecting rubber that seals the gap at top between the door and the body is all chewed up and has been botched on with horrible glue - its meant to be a press fit. Not serious in itself but makes me wonder what the car has been through before I acquired it. Dealer uninterested despite the fact that where the seal has been glued on a spot of rust has appeared on the rim due no doubt to water lying under the ill fitting rubber.

and there's nothing worse that an ill fitting rubber

 

[david and julie]

Gerry I wasn't suggesting you prise anything just lifting gently by hand.Altering the striker can effect shut lines thats all.

The dealer can't be like that with you the law is on your side.

I don't want to alarm you but have you any idea of this cars history?

Cars at 2 years old shouldn't be like that.

If this was my car and I had just bought it I would consider having it checked over by the AA or similar, or even just going to a bodyshop and asking their opinion. Just to be certain it was genuine.

 

[gerrybhoy]

I did take it to a pal who owns a bodyshop. He said that there was no evidence of a major prang but he couldn't be 100% sure. The car is also HPI checked by the dealer before sale (allegedly). They said that it is a used car and that is that. I told them that this was against the law and that my mate is an investigative journalist and presenter for BBC TV (true). I think I went a bit OTT because I hate these weasels and their hand washing after the sale. But thinking it through, if the car had been in a major spill the repairing bodyshop would not have attached the wind seal in that way when the rest of the 'job' is so perfect. I inspected the inner wings before I bought it and the chassis members. All are original and pristine. The underseal is intact and the pillars look untampered. The car seems ok, but I agree it is odd. The door has been incorrectly striking the striker for some time as the striker pin is grooved where the door has been riding up on it.

 

[david and julie]

No problem Gerry.

You obviously knew where I was coming from, just didn't want to see you stuffed with a bad one.

I am not saying yours but..

Most almost new cars on the market are from hire companies although it won't say so in the reg docs. The insurance for these is so expensive they repair their own or sell them on at salvage auctions(third party unrecorded) These cars don't always show up on HPI checks because they were not subject to insurance claims. Hire companies can declare them but often don't because they would get less for the salvage.

The reason I said lift the door is because many modern cars have welded, non adjustable hinges on the A post. Lifting the door a bit sorts any minor probs out here.You may still end up doing this.

I am sure all will be OK.

Regards.

 

[gerrybhoy]

I appreciate it